Electric-circuit making and breaking device



I. T. SWARTZ. ELECTRIC CIRCUIT MAKING AND BREAKINGDEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.3.1918.

1,357,532, Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

l 7 mm INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRA T. SWARTZ, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO SWARTZ ELECTRICCOMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT MAKING AND BREAKING DEVICE.

Application filed April 3, 1918.

To all to 720m it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA T. SwAR'rz, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, Marion county, and State of Indiana, haveinvented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements inElectricCircuit Making and Brealn'ngDevices, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to circuit making and breaking devices and theobject of the invention is to produce a device adapted to successfullymake and break a circuit, particularly one employing a high tensioncurrent, without the use of wipingmetallic contacts. The invention is ofparticularadvantage in ignition circuits for internal combustionengines, althoughcapable of use for other purposes. WVhen usedwithengines in an ignition circuit it is designed to take the place ofthe timer and vibrator and, in connection with suitable high tensioncurrent producing means, to enable the magneto to be dispensed wit Theinvention is illustrated in connection with the ignition circuit of aninternal combustion engine, and is. embodied in preferable form in theconstruction, combination and arrangement hereinafter'set forth andillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section partly in sideelevation of the invention and partly diagrammatic showing the sameapplied in the ignition circuit of an internal combustion engine andbetween said engine and a source of hightension current; Fig. 2 is anend View in elevation showing the face of the rotating disk constitutingthe principal feature of the invention, and Fig. 3, a similar view of amodified form, and Fig. 4, a similar view of. another modified form ofsaid disk; Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 3 of another modified form ofmultiple interrupter and Fig. 6 an edge view of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a battery, 2 a shaft which may bean engine shaft or a dynamo shaft, where such shaft is a continuation ofthat of the engine, or the same may be any timer and distributing shaftproperly geared to the main engine shaft, 3 a dynamo ada ted to serveeither as a motor to be driven rom the battery or as generator, and 4indicates a transformer Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Serial No. 226,516.

adapted to step up the voltage of the alternating current. The Gindicates the generatorelement of the dynamo and M the motor elementthereof. The particular form of means which may be employed to producean alternating high tension current forms no part of the presentinvention and other .or air passage 11 extending entirely through theblock. A. similar conducting terminal and current receiver 12 is mountedat the opposite end of the passage way 11 andis electrically connectedby lead 13 with one of the se arated points of the spark plug. The otheread 14 goes back to the source of high tension current.

Mounted on the shaft 2 is a disk 15 com posed of non-conductingmaterial, preferably of fibrous substance and the inner. circumferentialportion of which disk is adapted to rotate through a slot or openingr16formed in the block 9 which is adapted to interrupt the air passage 11leading through the block. The disk thus interrupts and breaks the pathof the current that may be projected from one high tension electrode orprojector to the other high tension electrode or receiver through thechannel. Formed in the disk in line with the sector formed by the airpassage channel 11 is an opening 17 extending through the body of thedisk and constituting a valve opening adapted to register with thechannel to permit the projection through the channel of the high tensioncurrent from one electrode to the other. This opening is enlargedcircumferentially to permit sufficient current waves to pass through thesame to give a current strength necessary for the spark. The elongationof this opening is proportioned to the frequency of the wave currentsand the rate of revolution of the shaft carrying the interrupter member.

In the operation of the device the engine spark p lu having been startedby hand, or from the motor driven by the storage battery, a high tensioncurrent will be produced in the generating means and carried to theprojector electrode 12. The disk 15 is so mounted as to rotate at thesame speed as the engine shaft, and in the rotation thereof the hightension current from the projector electrode passes against thenon-conducting surface of this disk and is thereby insulated from thereceiver electrode until the opening 17 in the disk registers withchannel 11 whereupon the current will be projected through the air spaceand a circuit established through the receiver electrode and the sparkplug, and a spark will be created at the The disk serves as a timer andmay be adjusted circumferentially relatively to the shaft to change thetiming.

In Fig. 3 is shown a plurality of air channel blocks, one for each sparkplug lead, to adapt the construction for a multiple cylinder engine andin this case the disk also serves a distributing segment or in lieuthereof.

In Fig. 4c, in place of the opening or openings at the disk adapted topermit the passage of current, a pin or plug or a series of the same 18,are illustrated. These inserted conductor members are metal of a comparatively low electrical resistance and are adapted to permit the flow ofcurrent as in the case of the air space openings.

In Figs. 5 and 6 an arrangement is shown in which the interrupter memberinstead of a disk, consists of a rotatably' driven ring 19, ofnon-conducting material provided with a localized current conductingarea such as anair hole 20 or a metallic member of low electricalresistance. This ring is mounted on a shaft 21. It serves to separate aplurality of fixed inner conductors 22 carried by a fixed boss or hub 23from an outer series of corresponding fixed conductors 24:, adapted tobe connected to spark elements or other current receiving means. In therotation of this ring it interrupts the circuit except at the instantswhen the conducting point 20 registers with any pair of opposing fixedconductors.

The invention may be used with a magneto, if desired, and in such case.will dispense with wiping contacts of the timing mechanism or the hightension current may be taken directly from the generator Without the useof a magneto.

IVith whatever form of high tension current generating means the devicemay be employed it will be seen that it dispenses with the necessity forthe use of wiping, rubbing said terminals, said member having arelatively conductive portion adapted to aline intermittently with theterminals of the sec ondary circuit.

2. An electric circuit making and breaking device comprising a primarycircuit, a secondary circuit including a spark plug, said secondarycircuit having a gap therein, terminals formed on either side of saidgap, a non-conductive rotatable member projecting into said gap, saidmember having a slot adapted to aline intermittently with the terminalsof the secondary circuit.

3. An electric circuit making and breaking device comprising aprimary'circuit, a secondary circuit including a spark plug, saidsecondary circuit having a gap therein,

terminals formed on either side of said gap in alinem'ena'and anon-conductive rotatable disk projecting into said gap, said disk having a slot adapted to aline intermittently with the terminals of thesecondary circuit, a shaft, said. disk being mounted thereon,

said shaft being rotated in synchronism with the shaft o'tan internalcombustion engine to correctly time the spark in the cylinder thereof.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolisthis 23rd day'of March, A. D. nineteen hundred and eighteen.

IRA T. SWARTZ. [L.S.]

Witnesses V C. K. BURDIOK, W. B. Snr'roN.

